Carnegie Waitlist Question

So apparently they didn’t go to the waitlist this year, but a letter came in the mail saying there might be spots open in the summer. What does this all mean? And how can spots be opened up in the summer?

Maybe it’s what they call summer melt?

I got this too. How many other people receive the letter?

My son declined his spot on the PWL when they asked him to ‘reaffirm’ his interest in early May and even he got the letter, so I’m guessing everyone, at least on the PWL, got the letter.

Anything is possible, but I think you are in lottery ticket territory here.

@topimpabutterfly First off, love your username and love the album!

In regards to your question, the summer thing is basically just another safety net for them if there is ANY possibility that they lose a currently committed student (if they were accepted off another better school’s waitlist, or any other enrolling difficulty) bc losing that student is $200,000+ for them. I got the same letter, but I’m not sending in the slip for summer admissions because it’s pretty much a false hope at this point. I think instead of hoping on what could/can be if you are admitted, you should just try and fall in love with your current committed school. Their acceptance rate is so low anyways that even getting on the priority waitlist shows that you have the smarts to be a CMU student. There is always transfers or grad school admissions, but until then just kill it at your current university and show Carnegie that they made a mistake not taking you!

@WannaBeCeo Thanks!

I understand what you mean but I’m still kind of confused. If they over-enrolled by say 50 kids, there’s no possible chance 50 kids are going to get off the waitlist for other schools or back out I would think right? If they over-enrolled, how could they expect to take kids off the waitlist? Yet according to some research I did, they over-enrolled in 2011 but took 6 students off the waitlist.

@topimpabutterfly where did you find that they overenrolled in 2011? What could have happened is that they overenrolled in like SCS, CIT, Tepper, Fine Arts, but MCS or Dietrich could have space so they used the Waitlist there. Either way, it’s most likely a lost cause anyways as there is nothing else we can do about it.

What can happen is that it is true that CMU is currently over-enrolled, BUT if students get off their waitlist schools and choose to head there, then there is space for someone on the WL to join.

You can I suppose stay on the WL, but I honestly recommend moving on and wish you best of luck wherever you end up.

@WannaBeCeo If you search for “cmu overenrolled” the 2011 threads said they overenrolled.

@WannaBeCeo They also overenrolled in 2008 but they admitted 0 people off the waitlist that year

Just so that this thread is fully resolved: